Job 20:4-29

4Do you know this from 1ancient times, From the establishment of mankind on earth,5That the 2rejoicing of the wicked is short, And 3the joy of the godless momentary?6Though his arrogance 45reaches the heavens, And his head touches the clouds,7He 6perishes forever like his refuse; Those who have seen him 7will say, ‘Where is he?’8He flies away like a 8dream, and they cannot find him; Like a vision of the night he is 9chased away.9The 10eye which saw him sees him no longer, And 11his place no longer beholds him.10His 12sons 13favor the poor, And his hands 14give back his wealth.11His 15bones are full of his youthful strength, But it lies down with him 16in the dust.

12“Though 17evil tastes sweet in his mouth And he hides it under his tongue,13Though he 18desires it and will not let it go, But holds it 19in his 20mouth,14Yet his food in his stomach is changed To the 21venom of cobras within him.15He swallows riches, But will 22vomit them up; God will expel them from his belly.16He sucks 23the poison of cobras; The viper’s tongue kills him.17He does not look at 24the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and curds.18He 25returns the product of his labor And cannot swallow it; As to the riches of his trading, He cannot even enjoy them.19For he has 26oppressed and neglected the poor; He has seized a house which he has not built.

20“Because he knew no quiet 27within him, He does 28not retain anything he desires.21Nothing remains 29for him to devour, Therefore 30his prosperity does not endure.22In the fullness of his excess he will be cramped; The 31hand of everyone who suffers will come against him.23When he 32fills his belly, God will send His fierce anger on him And 33rain it on him 34while he is eating.24He may 35flee from the iron weapon, But the bronze bow will pierce him.25It is drawn and comes out of his back, Even the flashing point from 36his gallbladder; 37Terrors come upon him,26Complete 38darkness is held in reserve for his treasures, And unfanned 39fire will devour him; It will consume the survivor in his tent.27The 40heavens will reveal his guilt, And the earth will rise up against him.28The 41increase of his house will disappear; His possessions will flow away 42on the day of His anger.29This is a wicked person’s 43portion from God, The inheritance decreed to him by God.”